Travelling the world during a gap year is a great experience. But travelling to a far-flung country to help disadvantaged children is an experience that will never be forgotten – by anyone involved.

For a year, St Ivo students Amelia Sykes, 17, Tara McCarter, 18, Alice Mitchell, 18, and Barney Necus, 17, will be helping children in South Africa, Guyana, Japan and Sri Lanka as part of Project Trust, which places volunteers to teach in schools and offer social care.

The students took part in a selection week in the Isle of Coll, off the west coast of Scotland, and each has to raise �5,100 before he or she leaves at the end of August or beginning of September.

Amelia, who will be heading for South Africa, said: “We’re all about halfway to our target. We’ve had a Scottish dance and a lot of sponsorship from charity trusts. Tara and I have a cake stand each week, and I’m arranging a dance in Hemingford Abbots.

“It’s going to be amazing. I don’t know what I’m doing yet but, as I’ll be happy doing anything, I don’t mind as it’s for a good cause.”

Tara hopes to teach maths and sciences in a secondary school in Guyana, South America. She said: “I’m most scared of the culture shock as they have a basic standard of living there but they speak English so it should be OK.

“They place about 20 people around Guyana. One of those locations is an eight-hour boat journey to the nearest civilisation, which I wouldn’t mind – I think I’ll be lucky to have a blackboard in my classroom.”

INFORMATION: If you would like to donate to one of the students, visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/AmeliaSykes www.virginmoneygiving.com/TaraMcCarter www.virginmoneygiving.com/AliceMitchell www.virginmoneygiving.com/BarneyNecus or sign up to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/AmeliaSykes for companies to donate as you buy online.